Why vegetables are good for us? Vegetables are good for us - but why? Plants are natural chemical factories capable of producing nutrient metabolites, vitamins and antioxidant pigments, including carotenoids. Carotenoids are the most abundant and remarkable chemicals in nature, found mostly in plants, algae, fungi and bacteria. They tend to absorb blue light giving fruit, flowers and vegetables a characteristic red, orange or yellow colour. Carotenoids even create the vibrant hues of autumn leaves. There are many human health benefits for consuming foods rich in carotenoids. As antioxidants, they fight cancer and their absorption capacity can prevent age-related macular degeneration of the eye. Vitamin A derived from beta-carotene, a carotenoid that accumulates in carrots, is associated with preventing blindness. Carotenoids are also good for plants, harnessing light energy, protecting against excessive sun damage and aiding communication between cells. Plants use carotenoids to synthesise hormones that control development and provide resistance to the stress of drought. Join Dr. Christopher Cazzonelli from the Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (University of Western Sydney) to learn how scientists are ensuring that environmental changes do not detract from the universal benefits of carotenoids in nature. Inspiring Science: Carotenoids and Cosmic Timescales City of Sydney Library Wednesday, 5 November 2014 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (AEDT) Ultimo, NSW eventbrite.au/e/inspiring-science-carotenoids-and-cosmic-timescales-tickets-13171549459
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 02:01:08 +0000
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